Arrows Over Death
by tolkienlover
Summary: Chrom and his tactician, Elisabeth, haven't quite figured out where the line of limits is drawn between them. Yet, Chrom isn't sure there is one when Elisabeth takes a stray arrow to the chest for him, saving his life. To say the least, Chrom isn't all that pleased. (Chrom X Avatar/Robin; rated T for slight language and romantic intentions; slight spoilers for minor characters.)


**Author's Note: **

_**Wow, okay, so hello! It's tolkienlover and, ahm, I guess this is my first post...like ever? Quite ironic that it isn't related to anything Tolkien...oh well, I suppose I'll get around to that. Anyways, I know there are probably zero people reading this at the moment, and most likely, ever (considering that I always skip the author's note when reading, ahah, whoops), but I really hope that even if my author's note is literally the most boring thing ever, that you enjoy the writing below! Fire Emblem: Awakening is seriously a work of art, so there is no possible way I could ever bring it justice. Yet, I hope you enjoy this little drabble between Chrom and an original character that takes place somewhere after Chapter 11. Enjoy!**_

**Disclaimer:**** Anything viewed here belongs to it's creators and developers. I have no claim over anything other than my original character. My most sincere gratitude to Nintendo for creating such a game. **

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><p>"Be gone, beast!" Elisabeth shouted across the clearing, her sword twisting in her hand as she swung it rapidly into the Risen's chest, letting it to fall to the ground. She quickly slanted her sword downwards, dropping it into the creature's back to make sure it had fallen for good, and then retrieved it, her face grim and slick with beads of sweat. After sweeping the clearing a final time, her eyes raking carefully over each aspect of it with care, she sheathed her sword, wiping her hands onto the cloth of her pants and then took a deep breath. "Finally, some quiet."<p>

The Shepherds had defeated the Risen in what felt like hours, though it was really less than a full count of minutes. Elisabeth's hair was shaken from her ponytail, her tome hidden away on the inside of her cloak as her sword dangled from her waist, sheathed in a leather casing. _A gift from Chrom,_ she thought happily, blushing slightly as she thought back on the moment he had presented it to her. Her eyes lifted and she glanced about the clearing once more, taking in the sight around her.

Her fellow soldiers were exhausted; Maribelle walked slowly from person to person, checking for injury and waving a staff from time to time. Many of them were at least lightly wounded, save for Stahl, whom had suffered a blow to his side, drawing heavy blood and quite possibly breaking bones. Lissa sat beside him with his head in her lap, running her staff over his chest with practiced movements. His eyes opened momentarily, and when he spotted the Ylissean princess above him, he smiled weakly. His mouth moved, and though Elisabeth couldn't hear what he was saying, she watched as Lissa moved to run one of her hands through his hair, a giggle clear on her face. She waved her staff over him again and his eyes closed, his smile remaining as a ghost upon his lips. Seeing Lissa with someone who made her happy made Elisabeth grin widely, and as she took in the rest of the scene, the urge only became stronger.

Everyone appeared to be happy that the battle was over.

Ricken was embraced almost instantly by Nowi, her arms reaching tightly around his neck as she scolded him loudly, claiming she was nearly killed and that he should have been there to help her. Yet, her face was bright with happiness, and he laughed at the way her hair flew out over his shoulders as she hugged him.

As the youngest and the oldest of the Shepherds reunited, Sumia followed behind Frederick, her pegasus by her side, with a quiet smile, holding to the reins of her mount to keep her balance. The Great Knight moved around the battlefield with his lance at hand, checking in with Lissa first before facing Sumia and asking if she was alright. Her face alit with a pinkish tint and she nodded.

Then there was Vaike, who was sharpening his axe with a rock from the ground and watching Maribelle from afar, his eyes narrowed and his smile turned up with slight amusement as the woman waved her staff over Kellam's head, gasping in surprise as she noticed him. Miriel stood nearby with a slight smile upon her face.

"There you are," the voice spoke from beside her, and Elisabeth jumped, throwing her hand to her chest in surprise. Chrom's face quickly became amused and he laughed as she playfully pushed at his arm. "I've been looking for you."

The woman blushed and ran a hand through her hair, smiling out at the Shepherds again. She then turned to look back at Chrom. "Is something the matter?"

"No, I just wished to congratulate you," he said happily, nodding his head in approval, "Your strategy worked flawlessly, just like you said. I shouldn't have doubted you," She raised an eyebrow.

"Are you admitting to being wrong, Chrom?"

His face flashed red. "Only for you, my dear," The Prince reached to sheathe his sword, and Elisabeth quickly moved her eyes over him, searching for any sign of injury. There was a tear, just above his stomach, revealing a bleeding scratch that soaked red into his white shirt, but he seemed in one piece besides that. Once his sword was sheathed, she reached forward subtly, hiding herself in front of him to keep her actions out of view from the others, and pushed aside the torn fabric, showing more of the scratch.

"You should have Lissa look at this," she said, biting her lip, "Where did you get it?"

"Missed a parry," he replied, and shielding her from view, moved around to her front. He then moved his hand to stroke lightly at her face and smiled lightly. "You needn't worry about me, love, I'll be fine." She shook her head, brushing off his touch, and reached into her cloak. Her hand returned with a vulnerary, nearly gone, and she tugged at the lid to open it, but his hand covered hers before she could continue. "Don't waste that on me," he said seriously, catching her face in his hands again.

"Too late," the cap fell to the ground and her fingers dipped into the container. As they came out, they were coated in a clear concoction, and with a careful touch, Elisabeth used her free hand to push aside the fabric of his shirt and placed the healing solution onto the bleeding injury. His face tightened and he hissed in pain, but the scratch instantly became a pinker color and the blood faded away with ease. Chrom sighed and ran his thumb over her cheekbone, drawing her closer with his touch.

"You shouldn't have," he said, and he meant it. He would have stayed in pain if she needed the vulnerary instead; he would have done anything to keep her from feeling any sort of pain ever again. "Let me see you." His request came suddenly, and she laughed, letting his hands reach for her cloak. He pulled it aside slightly to look her over, and when his eyes came up empty, of injury at least, he nodded. The cloak fell around her again, leaving her hidden under its shadow. "You check out alright, Lady Elisabeth." Her face changed suddenly, and she moved around him, to his other side, and gave him a slight grin.

The smile on her face widened, and her mouth opened to speak, but before a word could escape, a whistling noise shot through the air and her face quickly strained into a look of astonishment and pain. Chrom took a step back, his face wide as he held his hands around her face. "Elisabeth?" She shook her head violently, trying to pull away from him and gasping for air, but he refused to release her. The same noise from before echoed through, yet this time it returned with a rustling of leaves, and Chrom looked up, only to see two Risen emerging from the bushes, one armed with a sword, the other with a bow.

Chrom's face instantly became filled with rage, and he glanced to Elisabeth with a look of pure agony. Two arrows stuck out from her soft skin, one buried in her arm, the other just below the curve of her left breast, and blood was quickly drawn from her veins. She gasped out, and Chrom instantly reached for his sword, switching to steady her by maneuvering her uninjured arm around his shoulder, and turned to the Risen, his eyes fierce. One made a sound, a gargling noise that made Chrom's stomach curl, and he braced himself for the attack.

Before the creature attacked, Elisabeth pulled herself from the Prince and fell to the ground, landing flat on her side. Chrom couldn't stop to help her, and his heart convulsed as he pushed forward to slice wickedly at the first Risen. The monster's sword parried, but didn't hold for long as the man slammed his own against it again, leaving his enemy weaponless. Falchion found its mark in the flesh of the Risen, and soon the other as it sliced into their dead skin and left them lifeless. Both fell to the ground and disappeared in a rush of smoke and ash.

When he turned around, Elisabeth was coughing on the ground, red splattering the grass beneath her as her mouth left blood around the edges of her lips. Lissa was already hurrying to her side, but Chrom was faster; he knelt beside her, his hands clenched together, and laid her on back to steady her breathing. She coughed again, this time more violently, and her eyes moved restlessly beneath closed eyelids. When Lissa arrived, she gasped and quickly moved to the woman's side, her face wide with shock.

"Chrom," she said hurriedly, and the man only tightened his fists, his face unreadable, "Chrom, you have to help me," Lissa pushed heavily at his shoulder to get his attention and his head snapped her way. The look in his eyes was a mixture of guilt and rage, making the woman take a startled breath, "I'm going to have to pull the arrows from her skin. You have to keep her breathing, and quiet."

He nodded, and without hesitation, moved closer to Elisabeth's face, slanting so he could look her dead in the eye if hers were open, and took a breath. Anger simmering beneath his skin, the man pressed his mouth to hers, forcing her lips apart with his own and pumping his breath into her lungs. Her blood was fresh on his tongue, and he wanted to gag, partially in disgust and mostly in commitment. His eyes watched her own intently, and when hers snapped open, he reached out with his hands to hold both her arms down as she struggled beneath him.

He instantly knew when Lissa began removing the first arrow.

Elisabeth's face twisted into pure agony; her eyes grew foggy and overflowed with a sea of tears, leaving tracks of water down her cheeks, as Chrom blew more air into her mouth. Her arms squirmed weakly beneath him, and he held her down, keeping her still as Lissa tugged on the arrow embedded into her skin. When the arrow was out and gone, Elisabeth fell limp, her eyes glazing over in pain. Chrom moved to help Lissa carry her as Stahl limped towards them as he was the closest Shepherd, but the prince's eyesight was blurry, clouded. His thoughts became hazy with grief and soon faded to darkness, leaving Chrom in a swirling mist of sorrow and anger.

The last thing Chrom remembered was Stahl's widened eyes giving him a terrified glance.

Perhaps that was why his memory after that had faded; everything beyond clear thinking was gone, and the man could only remember the step of his feet, the ground beneath his boots, as he walked. Stahl must have led him here, outside the infirmary tent, and made him sit down in the cool grass. The sun was fading out behind the trees around the camp, throwing shadows of the tree's branches onto the ground and leaving flickering light against Chrom's hand as he toyed with a blade of grass between his fingertips. Stahl sat to his left, and when Chrom looked, his eyes clearing, the knight sighed in relief.

"Sir Chrom," he said, much to the Prince's surprise. He knew something was wrong instantly—Stahl rarely used a title considering the two had grown up together. The man ran a hand through his mussed green hair, and sighed. "Are you awake now?

Chrom shrugged. "Was I not before?"

"You were awake in a physical state, milord," he replied, "but not quite in a mental one." His armor was kinked in a few places, and there was a deep scratch starting at the place where his neck met his face, disappearing down his dark armor. Stahl gave him a grim smile, one that made his blood curl, and then spoke again. "Chrom, do you remember anything from today's battle?

The man ran his thumb over the piece of grass in his hand, and his fingers curled together in a tight fist. "Is she okay, Stahl?"

The knight hardly hesitated, considering Elisabeth was the only other one injured during battle, or more so, after battle. "She'll be alright," he said, and he sighed, "Those arrows banged her up pretty good. She's lucky they didn't hit anything vital or it might have been a problem. But yes, Elisabeth will be fine, just not right now."

"Is that why I'm outside this tent?"

"She's inside, if that's what you're asking."

Chrom instantly moved to stand, but Stahl stopped him, pressing his hand to the man's shoulder. His face was apologetic as he tried to comfort his captain. "I don't think it would be a good idea to go in, Chrom. It's been awhile since she was awake. Perhaps you should leave her be."

"I'd like to see her," The exalt said, and glanced to the man beside him. His eyes were filled with something—hopelessness—and Stahl instantly gave a slight nod.

"Lissa should still be inside. I suppose she'll be the judge of that."

The two walked around the side of the tent to the entrance, and Stahl pushed the flap open. "Lissa? Hey, is she awake? Chrom wants to come in." The knight nodded and held the fabric up so Chrom could walk beneath it. He patted his friend's shoulder as he passed. "Good luck," he said quietly, and left the Prince to the moist air of the tent.

Lissa sat beside a small cot, her dress overflowing over the wooden stool she had beneath her, with a heal staff clutched in one hand. There was nothing else in the space, only the cot and a few buckets of water lying about. The cleric looked up instantly, her eyes meeting her brother's with a sad expression. Chrom walked carefully to her side and was not prepared for what he saw laying within the sheets of the cot.

Elisabeth had her eyes closed, laying flat out on her back in the sling of the make-shift bed, her hair matted around her face in wild curls. Splotches of red covered her cheeks, and her eyelashes made dark shadows across her skin. And yet, that wasn't at all what made the man nearly take a step back. White bandages were wrapped completely around the woman's torso, covering her entire upper-chest and leaving her shirtless. Another was circled around her upper arm, tied tightly around her skin. Both were stained a dark red, and were turning into a more rustic color as the light in the room dimmed. Lissa looked to her brother in silence, one of the few times the woman was ever quiet, and reached for his hand.

"This wasn't your fault," she said, but Chrom wasn't having it. He ignored her, brushing her hand back and moving closer to the cot, his face twisted in pain. His hands gripped at the edge of the sheets.

"How bad is she?"

"It really isn't—"

"_How bad is she, _Lissa?"

Lissa sighed. "The arrow that caught her in the arm didn't do too much damage, but it'll leave a scar and she lost some blood from it." She gestured to the bandages wrapped around the girl's upper arm. "Her other wound is much worse. It hit around here," Lissa pointed to Elisabeth's ribcage, making Chrom flinch. "And broke a few ribs. I-I think there's some internal bleeding, but I can't be sure until she wakes up. The only time she was awake, she threw up blood into a bucket and passed out again."

The exalt swore loudly and looked back down at the woman in the cot, his eyes dark. "Gods, Elisabeth! You knew there were archers there, didn't you? And they were trying to kill me, but you had to be the stubborn one, always the one who has to take the hit." His voice quieted and broke. "Why didn't you just let them hit me, you fool? I should be the one in this grungy bed coughing up blood, not you."

"Chrom, she may have done it for the best."

"What do you mean?" Chrom spat, and instantly regretted it. He hadn't shouted at Lissa like that since they were children. She seemed to be indifferent to it, keeping her eyes calmly upon Elisabeth.

She studied the girl's face, and it wasn't until Chrom glanced over at her did he notice a gleam in her eye—a gleam of gratitude. Lissa gripped her staff. "If she hadn't taken the blow, and you were standing where she was, the arrow wouldn't have hit you here, it would have hit here," her hand first moved to point to the girl's wound, and then hovered over Elisabeth's heart. "You would have died. I think she had one of her moments, you know? As if she didn't _know_ there were Risen in the trees, but as soon as they approached, her tactician sense kicked in or something."

Chrom quickly remembered the moment where she had moved suddenly around him; it must have been to prevent the arrows from striking him through the heart. His eyes grew cloudy as he looked at her in silence. Lissa stood from her seat and ran a hand over her brother's arm in comfort.

"She did say something," Lissa said quietly, and then hesitated when Chrom looked up in surprise, "The first thing out of her mouth, before the blood coming up, was your name. I told her you were alright of course, and that was when the coughing started. She loosened up, though, so it brought her some sort of comfort."

The prince's grip unclenched from where they had been clenched at the hem of his shirt and he let out a long sigh. "How long until she's well?"

"A few weeks at least and more if there's internal bleeding. I can't be sure right now, but if all that blood isn't just from her mouth, there's most certainly something wrong. Maribelle came to see if she could offer any other advice, and went to fetch Libra."

"Libra?"

Lissa nodded. "Yes, he has much more experience with severe wounds like this, and he had some helpful insight into the matter. He believes that the arrow pierced right below her lung, which would explain the coughing and blood."

"And the bruises?"

"Pardon?"

"The bruises," Chrom said quietly, and pointed gestured to the dark marks dotted across her face, and an especially large one welled along her collarbone, "They're not from the most recent battle, are they?"

The cleric shifted uncomfortably, and reached to tug at one of her ponytails. "There was an accident, and she fell." Lissa's mouth tightened into a thin line. "After you and I tried to help her stand, she hit the ground face-first, which explains a few of the nastier ones. As for the one on below her neck, that's from where she, ah," her voice became delicate, "dropped, after she slid from your shoulder."

Chrom closed his eyes tightly, and his sister took this as her signal to leave. She patted his shoulder once more, looked towards Elisabeth, and then hurried from the tent, disappearing from the small space within seconds. As soon as she left, the cot creaked loudly and the woman inside it shifted.

"Gods, I thought she'd never leave," Elisabeth said hoarsely, followed by a rough cough. "It felt like she was here forever."

The Prince looked up at once, his eyes snapping open at the sound of her voice. Her eyes, instead of the dull grey of disappointment Chrom was expecting, were bright, and a slight smile graced her lips. "Elisabeth?"

"Who else?" She said lightly and attempted to laugh, but was cut off by her own coughing. The woman wiped the back of her hand across her mouth and it came away tinged red. "You don't need to worry about me, Chrom, I'm fine."

"The blood on your hand says otherwise," he said softly, moving closer to the side of her bed with cautious eyes. "I didn't think you were awake."

Elisabeth sighed and ran her hand across her sheets, ridding her skin of the blood from her mouth. She adjusted herself to sit higher up against her pillow and her face tightened, her hand reaching for the bandage around her torso. Her eyes widened at the state of her chest, and she glanced down before looking to Chrom with a look of astonishment. "I didn't think there was _that_ much blood," she said as she settled back into her pillow, her face thoughtful, "It doesn't hurt that bad, really. Whatever Libra did while he was here really helped."

"Lissa said he has more experience with wounds like yours, and he probably knew how to treat it properly." Chrom knelt beside the cot, coming to face-level with the woman and watched her carefully. "You really shouldn't have done this to yourself, you know. I can take an arrow."

"But can you take two?" she brushed back her hair and her smile vanished, leaving her face flushed, "I couldn't bring myself to take that risk, even if I only had about four seconds to make the decision. Lissa was right when she mentioned my 'tactician sense'," Elisabeth shook her head, giving a quiet laugh, "When I moved in front of you, I figured they wouldn't hit me as fatally as they would hit you…"

Chrom used his hand to tuck a piece of her hair behind her ear and sighed, keeping his fingers far from her skin. "This is my fault," he said, and instantly the girl's face became determined.

"I _knew_ you were going to try this," she said angrily, pushing his hand away from her hair, "You ought to know better than anyone else why I took those damned arrows for you, Chrom, and claiming this is entirely your fault is going to make me feel much worse." Chrom's face lit up and he watched as she shifted in her cot, moving to look him in the eye, "Don't you know I love you more than anyone? I had to save you because I couldn't live without you."

"And what exactly do you think I've been doing this entire time? Collecting flowers with Lissa? You've had me worried sick, Elisabeth, not because I don't think you're capable of taking an arrow, but because if you died, I wouldn't have any chance of making it through this war," her mouth dropped into a 'o' shape, and she watched as Chrom's voice raised higher, something he never had to do with her, "I can't do this without you," he shouted, standing to his full height and turning his back to her, "Not today, not tomorrow, not forever, and if you think that I even want to live in a world where you don't exist, than you really have lost it! I _can't_ live if you don't exist," he turned back to her and his eyes were glistening with tears, his face dark with anger, "There wouldn't be a reason _to_ live without you."

They were silent for a moment, and a single tear broke from Elisabeth's eye and dribbled down her cheek. She motioned for him to come closer, and when he knelt down beside her again, she used her uninjured arm to pull his face closer, hiding her own in the crook of his collarbone. The skin there was warm, and she let herself cry quietly into his neck, her left hand fisted tightly into his dark hair. He wrapped both arms around her, cautiously, and murmured softly into her ear.

"I'm sorry," he said, and almost smiled when she said it simultaneously, her words muffled by his throat. She stopped speaking to hear what he had left to say. "It was wrong of me to shout at you, but everything I said is true. We're supposed to be partners is this, remember? You can't go around doing all the dirty work."

She stifled a laugh—more of a strangled cry—into his neck and pulled on his hair. "I don't mean to," she replied, moving her face to pull his down to her own. She stopped when she was inches away from his mouth, her nose brushing against his. "As a tactician, my job is to protect everyone, but lately Chrom, all I can think about is you, even when my duty lies elsewhere. When I sensed that those Risen were nearby," she winced and her eyes glistened with tears once more. Chrom moved his hands to wrap carefully around the back of her neck, holding her face close. She took a shaky breath and continued. "When I sense things, I see what they cause," she said almost inaudibly, her lips hardly moving; Chrom could feel the breath of her words again his mouth, "Time freezes and…and fate shows me what is in store."

"You saw me die," he said at once, his eyes widening, "That's why you moved."

She nodded slowly. "The arrow pierced you through the heart, and you fell to the ground, calling for me to be happy and telling me that you loved me, and I—I couldn't take it, Chrom, I just couldn't." One tear after another fell from her eyes and she gave a silent sob as it racked her shoulders. "I've seen people die in my visions before, but never like that. My visions don't show me my own fate, so when I stepped in front of you, I was taking a risk, and yet, I can never regret that," her tears slowed and she released her much-too-tight grip in his hair. He didn't even notice as he was too busy watching her eyes, the same ones that stared into his own with a silver edge, their gleam glistening by the light of the burning candle. "Ylisse needs you, and I would do anything to make sure you make it through this war, even if it means banging myself up like this."

Chrom was quiet for a moment, locked at her side by the strong arm she had hooked around his shoulders. She watched him expectantly, her eyes hesitant. "Do you remember," he said slowly, at last, brushing his forehead against hers, "when you asked where I had earned that scratch, the big one across my chest, just before we were attacked?"

"The one I put the vulnerary on?"

"Yes, that one," he nodded, "and I said that I had just missed a parry. Well, I lied to you about where I had earned it, and why." His hands moved once again, shifting from her neck; one found its way to the small of her back and the other moved to touch lightly at her cheekbone. "You were battling a mage on the eastern side of the field when a swordsman came up behind you. I called out for you, but you didn't hear me, so instead, I pushed his blade back just enough to miss your back." Her eyes instantly moved to his chest, where the same tear in his shirt revealed the cut in his skin, and she gasped.

"You didn't take that for me," her voice was so quiet, he almost didn't hear it, "did you?"

"Of course I did," he said, and his eyes clouded with something she couldn't decipher, "I took it for the same reason you took those arrows for me. Because I can't imagine a world without you, and would rather feel pain than not have you at my side."

She looked back to his face, studying it for a moment, and then hesitantly, attempted to move her arm. Chrom instantly had his hand from her back, trying to keep her from doing so, but she pushed on, her face tightening as her hand went to touch the side of his face. "I suppose I have no right to be angry," she said lightly, a smile finally turning up at her mouth, "Though I am. Perhaps now we see each other's perspective, then." Her finger traced carefully around the edge of his eye and then brushed back a few of his blue bangs, pausing to run through them with a light touch. "I'll recover from this, Chrom. Save your worry for someone who truly needs it."

"Half my worry is always trained on you, my love," he said lowly, and she laughed quietly, "but I know you'll be okay."

"Then why exactly did you ask Lissa how long I would be here?" She raised an eyebrow and it pushed against his forehead, making him chuckle.

His hand cupped her face. "You were listening, then."

She very carefully rotated her shoulders and Chrom winced when she took a sharp intake of breath. "You were in the same room as me," she pointed out, "It wasn't my fault I happened to be the topic of conversation. She was right, though, about what she said, about my first word being your name."

Chrom felt his cheeks heat up against her own as she smiled. "Do you think she suspects something?"

"Your sister always suspects something," Elisabeth said, laughing, "We're going to have to tell her soon, you know."

"Keeping us a secret was your idea, not mine." Chrom peeked at the tent flap before moving, pulling the woman's hands from his hair and dropping his grip from her back. Her face fell, but quickly grew into astonishment as the prince slipped of his boots, unlacing them as swiftly as he could manage, and pushed the girl to one side of the cot. He then moved to lie beside her, and helped her best he could as she shifted to lay on her uninjured side. Her breathing was shallow for a moment, but she seemed to be faring as well as she was before. The woman yanked at the sheets and pulled them up over the exalt, leaving their waists and above free to the cooling air. Chrom instantly reached out for her and she complied, moving carefully into his embrace. His arms went around her waist, locking at the small of her back, and held her up against him in the gentlest way possible. "But yes, we will have to tell her before I officially propose. She'll be red with rage if we don't." Elisabeth gave him a light smile.

The bandage around her chest poked against his own torso when he moved her closer, and he laughed when her face grew a dark red. Normally she wore something much more modest, something not as tight there, but this was much more to the man's preference. The skin at her stomach was bare, as well as her shoulders and neckline, places Chrom usually didn't have access to, and she nearly jumped when he pulled her even closer, pressing his forehead to hers. Elisabeth circled her arms around his neck and twined them back into his ruffled hair, smiling when he held her close.

"I'm sorry," she said when the silence was thick, and he sighed quietly, "I didn't mean to upset you, but I'd much rather have you angry with me than have you six feet under."

He shook his head, and with this, brushed his hair against her forehead. "It wasn't your fault, not really. I just—" he broke off, his eyes darkening, "I just blamed my anger on you because you were the one involved. My father used to do that, you know. Perhaps I picked it up from him."

"You have nothing of your father," her tone was so sharp that Chrom glanced up at her in surprise. Her eyes were intelligent, her cheeks rosy, and she was so serious that he let her continue. "You're already more of a man than your father ever was, and gods forbid he rest in peace."

"You're aggressive when you're wounded," Chrom said, surprised, and she blushed, "I don't think I've ever seen you this angry."

She opened her mouth to speak, but a yawn erupted instead, taking the place of her words. Chrom nodded, and before she could pull away, pressed a swift kiss to her lips. Her hands tugged roughly at his hair, but he pulled back to see her surprised expression. "You need to sleep," he said and her face quickly became argumentative, her mouth opening to speak once more, but he cut her off, "If you want to be out of this damn bed in as little time as possible, sleep is your best friend."

"Maybe I don't want to be out of this bed." She looked pointedly at his lips before smiling cheekily.

Chrom's eyebrows shot up past his bangs, and his smile rapidly turned into a full-blown grin. "Gods, I need Lissa to give me the rest of whatever she gave you. I might be able to use it sometime." His lover rolled her eyes and took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she went. Her face twisted up in pain, and he quickly released his hold around her waist, his face panicked. "Are you alright? Did I hurt you?"

"No, no, I'm fine," she reassured him, her face settling back into a peaceful state. Her eyes remained closed. "I just feel some pain in my chest at random points, it isn't a big deal."

"I can fetch Lissa—"

"Don't go," Elisabeth said sleepily, catching her hand into his shirt as her breathing steadied into a deeper pace.

Chrom chuckled and ducked down to press a kiss to her hair, smoothing it down with his hand before moving his arms back around her waist. "Thank you," he said quietly into her hair, "for saving my life. As if you don't do that every day," he spoke lowly, and when she didn't reply, he slid further into the sheets, tugging her with him, and settled her face at the base of his neck. "I love you."

Her voice caught him off guard when she replied. "I wouldn't have taken arrows if I didn't already know that."

"Just thought I would remind you."

"I love you, too." She said in return, and Chrom held her closer as she fell asleep.

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><p><strong>End Note: <strong>

_**And that's it! Hoped you enjoyed "Arrows Over Death", and really hope you'll check out some of the other stuff I'll be posting at some point. As a total gamer, I'll definitely be posting some things relating to Harvest Moon and some more Fire Emblem: Awakening. Plus, relating to my username, there will probably be quite a bit of drabbles based off of Lord of the Rings (though not a soul can compare writing with Tolkien, ahah.) **_

**_-tolkienlover_**


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